That Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize came as a shock to most people, especially his critics. As pundits analyze the award's aftermath, TIME looks back at the most memorable moments of Obama overkill

An Audacious Acceptance

Mark Wilson / Getty

Most of last year's Democratic Convention took place in Denver's downtown sports arena, but Obama's campaign had bigger plans for the presumptive nominee. At an estimated cost of $3 million, the convention's final night was moved to the mammoth Invesco Field, where Senator Obama accepted his party's nomination before an adoring crowd of 75,000. Already critical of Obama's celebrity status in the wake of his fawned-over European tour, Republicans pounced, mocking the grandiose stage, set with faux columns reminiscent of an ancient Greek house of worship. As the cover of the New York Post summed it up: "'O' my god: Dems erect Obama temple."